Container traffic problems?

Is your area having them?

http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2009/10/recession_hits_seaport_industr.html

Related story about a local bridge, of note is the part regarding the planned widening of the Panama Canal that is supposed to reduce cross-country USA container rail traffic.

http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2009/10/bayonne_bridge_too_low_for_tod.html

Lots of variables...

I used to think of the US-America as a global land bridge, but a thread on the Norfolk Southern Forums informed me that's not true, that most of the cross country container traffic from the coastal ports ends in the States...

Widening of the Panama Canal would definantly affect port to port traffic though.

Since 80% of shipments in this country travel by truck, I don't see increased traffic in the Panama Canal shipping affecting our nations railroads.

Business lanes like Norfolk Southern proposes should in fact greatly increase the rate of rail-containerized shipments

CWCY

I've heard reports that the Caldwell County Railroad has plans to start running container trains out of Hickory, NC,through Hudson, NC, and finally into Whitnell. That is, if they can compete with the trucking industry and if Norfolk Southern can accept the deal. The panama canal widening could reperesent a problem to the local plan though...

hmm, I guess we'll have to wait and see if the railroad will win this war with trucks,besides if the containers are hauled by train,it'll help cut down on roads being bottle-necked with trucks!

...war of the minds...

Actually, private fleets, common carriers & owner operators have only a war within themselves...

All these acknowledge that the railroads are good for the long-haul.

On-time delivery is still very much an issue, my brother runs refrigerated loads long-haul.

But the old hands have retired, the new age drivers can't be gone from their so-called "old Lady"(neither old, or treated very much like a lady...), for very long cause she won't put up with it like my mom.

Interstate 40 here in Tennessee is still 4-lane because of all the solid rock cuts & winding directions & we don't look to 6-lane it anytime soon...

As I said before, the Canal can't really affect port shipping because the freight traveling from 500-1500miles can still travel by train, since it's in a container anyway...

Hiring is still good for truck drivers(used to be called "Professional Drivers").

Anyone who hates intermodal trains lives in a "box."

I agree to that!

farthegn said:

I've heard reports that the Caldwell County Railroad has plans to start running container trains out of Hickory, NC,through Hudson, NC, and finally into Whitnell. That is, if they can compete with the trucking industry and if Norfolk Southern can accept the deal. The panama canal widening could reperesent a problem to the local plan though...

Click to expand...

Do they have their own locomotives or do they lease them to haul these trains?